Taenia asiatica

A tapeworm species of class Cestoda, and is commonly known as the Asian tapeworm that is first discovered in East Asia

Supplement

Taenia asiatica is a tapeworm species of class Cestoda of phylum Platyhelminthes. It is commonly called Asian tapeworm or Asian taenia. Similar to other species of the genus Taenia, Taenia asiatica is a parasitic worm inhabiting the intestines of definitive hosts and resembling a strip of tape.

Taenia asiatica is formerly thought of as a strain of Taenia saginata, the beef tapeworm. However, it differs from T. saginata since its intermediate host is not cattle but pigs. Thus, similar to T. solium, T. asiatica is a parasite of humans (as definitive host) and pigs (as intermediate host). Research conducted by parasitologists, K. S. Eom and H. J. Rim in 1993 established that T. asiatica is a distinct species.1 It is also different in having rostellar hooks and fewer proglottids.